Macros Matter!

As a certified personal trainer, I have been asked more times than I can count to do the impossible. I have been asked to change genetics, bone structure, and body types. How have I been asked to do this? Pictures, clients have come in with pictures of fitness models and celebrities who were 6 inches taller, photoshopped, dehydrated, and naturally had an ectomorph body type (1 of 3 body types). Any fitness professional that takes your picture and instantly says, “I can get you there!” is not being honest. This is because its completely up to you, actually its 90 percent you the client. Your results will be 10% of your exercise program, 80% will be your nutrition, and the last 10% will be habits and genetics. Accountability is key, you, the client needs to follow the exercise program to the “T”, that means not skipping out on the homework your trainer gives you!

Let’s set aside sleep, stress, and genetics; assuming that you have that under control and those variables cancel each other out, Macros Matter! Your diet needs to follow the macro nutrient intake that suits your goal, lifestyle and current physical condition. I grew up an athlete, I competed in college as a track & field sprinter; after my body building coach, Tiant McCray gave me my first nutrition plan based on my Marco count, something incredible happened. Following the diet my body fat plummeted from 12% training on my own down to 7% in 4 months with the diet and training. What are macronutrients you ask? I’ll tell you.

Macronutrients are the fuel of the body, it is supplied to the body through the food we intake. Macro’s, the core of nutrition and health is comprised of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. According to USDA guidelines, a healthy diet determined by calorie need should follow this Marco prescription: Carbohydrates 45 to 65 percent, Protein 10 to 35 percent, and Fat 20 to 35 percent of total calorie intake. The goal of the client, lifestyle, and current physical condition will determine the percentages used in the client’s macro calculation in order to manipulate body composition. Whether you want to gain muscle, lose weight, tone, or be the best athlete you can be, it all starts with Macros. Exercise alone without nutrition will not be highly effective.

In a study done by the University of Texas, researchers studied two groups of sedentary people. The first group of 50 was the control group. And they just stayed sedentary for the entire 12-week study (the length of an effective exercise program). The second group of 50 was the exercise group. This group worked with a trainer to do 3 strength and 2 interval-training sessions per week, about 5 total hours of exercise.

Both groups were told to keep their diets the same. The exercise group did lose statistically more fat than the control group; the total amount of fat the exercisers lost was just 1 and ½ pounds. What does that tell us? If you want to change your body composition efficiently and effectively Macros Matter!

If you would like to learn more about Macronutrients visit fitnessbyben.com, click on the services tab, and select the consultation for a free 30-minute nutrition assessment. We also offer custom nutrition plan and exercise programing packages as well as online training.